Ever wish you could shadow someone you’re life-crushing on for 24 hours? Us too. We’re getting an inside look at how yogis, wellness experts and fitness professionals fill their days because sometimes Instagram stalking just doesn’t cut it, and, well, we know you’re curious too.
Yogi and all-around awesome human Patrick Beach is all about creating community. Whether he's holding space for yogis at in the studio or for friends around his dinner table, he makes it a point to connect with and inspire others every day. After recently laying down roots in Seattle, he and his other half Carling have been busy opening their yoga studio Commune and preparing for the arrival of their baby this summer (and, naturally, sharing about the experience on Insta!). We got the full run-down on what a typical day looks like for him these days.
First Thing
Every day is always a little bit different, depending on where I am in the world, but it always involves a little bit of adventure, practice and teaching. Right now I am spending my time in Seattle for the summer as Carling and I get ready for our daughter to be born sometime in or around July. Seattle is an amazing place to spend the summer because the weather is usually beautiful, and you get a ton of daylight hours.
The first thing I do every day is wake up and practice. It's usually not my most challenging practice—most of the time it's about the ritual of beginning. Starting my day with something that helps me connect to myself. I often go through phases of what these practices look like. I maybe change them three or four times over the course of the year. After that, Carling and I connect with each other on what we are working on that day. We always have a ton going on, and she is the keeper of the schedule to help everything stay in line. After she eats we head to our yoga studio Commune in Seattle's Wallingford neighborhood to teach or check in with the crew.
Afternoon
We like to hang out in one of the local parks by the water and have lunch after. This is usually the first time I eat each day. Some people think it's weird, but I don’t often eat until 1 or 2pm every day. I have grown up my whole life being allergic to wheat, eggs and dairy, so most common American breakfasts are pretty pointless to me. Spending time outside is one of the biggest reasons we moved back to the Pacific Northwest. The entire area is filled with beautiful blues and greens with easy access to the water. If it's hot around midday, I love going for a swim, which is more like a big dive in and a quick retreat back to the dock until the water warms up in the summer.
In the afternoons I am in content creation mode. We are either recording for our podcast Life in Commune, our YouTube channel, or creating new videos for Instagram. I really want to focus on providing the highest level of value to my audience online. My goal with everything we release is to inspire or help people on their journeys as much as possible.
Evening
Before teaching in the evening I usually meet up with my friend CJ, and we practice together. It's a little ritual that we have—it helps us connect every day. Having people that you can share life with on many different levels is something I value greatly. I usually teach sometime in the evening in a group or private setting. My days tend to run long, and that's one of the reasons I love the long summer days here. Sharing yoga every night is something that I really cherish. Many of the great standup comedians like to perform every night to refine their craft. I have always looked at teaching the same way. Going up there and giving what I have in that moment is raw and real to me, even when the rest of the world can feel chaotic. I am always working on improving my teaching to be the best it can be. It's a never-ending process, and I love the journey.
After class, if it's still warm and I missed a lake swim earlier, I jump in and wash the day away. Carling will usually meet me at the park, then we either go home to cook dinner or meet friends somewhere around town. On the weekends we usually have people over to our place as well. Sharing time over meals with those I care about is something my mom instilled in me at a young age, and something I truly cherish.
When the energy of the day settles down, Carling and I reconnect with each other to check in on the time we spent apart during the day. We are such a part of each other’s lives on a day-to-day basis, and I love it. There is a seamlessness to our relationship that has been built over all the time we've spent together. We have grown from young kids just trying to figure out how to pay rent, to traveling the world year-round, opening yoga studios and having a daughter soon. None of this would be possible without complete belief and trust in one another. It is a truly special human experience to share.
Connect with Patrick on Instagram and visit Commune Yoga in Seattle!
